Dear friends, parishioners and guests;
For many years it has been my dream to put together a Liturgical pew book. It seemed to me that most books were interested in putting as much Liturgical information (i.e. Tropars & Kondaks, or other changeable parts) as possible. While I agree that these texts are an integral part of the Liturgy, they tended to make the book unwieldy and confusing. For many who attend Church regularly, this may not be the case because they are used to the structure and flow of our Liturgy, but if you have ever watched someone trying to follow our Liturgy for the first time you can see how confusing it can be.
This booklet was designed not only to help our guests but also to help parishioners unlock some of the beauty and wealth of our Liturgy. For many (of us) who were baptized in the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and attend Liturgy on Sunday, there are many elements of the Divine Liturgy that we neither understand nor were ever explained.
Our Divine Liturgy, developed within the interaction of the Holy Spirit and the faithful, is a wonderful service with many elements that aid in our becoming closer to the Divine. In the Liturgy we thank God for the gifts we have received, we ask of God for the things we need such as peace, health and guidance. We also offer our praises, and ultimately we offer our gifts (in the form of bread and wine) so that God may return them to us as His Body and Blood. All this to help us become closer to and eventually one with God with all our component parts: emotionally, intellectually, and physically.
Our Divine Liturgy has all of these (and more) elements. To unlock some of these elements for the churchgoer, this booklet was designed with several features:
Font size: a balance of legibility without being too large.
Colors: the text is color coded, red is for instruction, blue is for the priestâs silent prayers (which I strongly recommend for the people to read), and black is for the normal text.
Transliteration: To aid especially in bi-lingual Liturgies so that we are not forced into an either/or choice with language. Hopefully we can come to the point where language is no longer the most important issue, where we can easily and gracefully flow from one language into another almost without noticing. We should balance the need to pray in the language the people understand and also be faithful to our cultural heritage. The transliterated text is printed in a smaller font in order not to infringe on the main text.
Reflections and Commentary: A simple running commentary of some of the meaning and symbols of the Liturgy. Mainly they are reflections that have unlocked the Liturgy for me. As subsequent editions of this booklet are published, the commentary and reflection will change and grow as well. The main purpose of these reflections is not a historical explanation of the Liturgy as much as helping the faithful be ever more mindful of the Liturgy.
Changeable parts: As mentioned earlier, the changeable part (the Tropars, Kondaks etc.) are not included in this book for simplicity sake. As is the custom in our parish, I strongly urge the faithful to pick up the printed sheets with the changeable parts so that you can actively participate. Also, please be aware that these sheets will occasionally have additional changeable parts that are used for the day, such as an alternate antiphon or hymn to the Mother of God.
To truly unlock the wealth and beauty of our Divine Liturgy it is ultimately up to the individual to actively participate in Church and be fully conscious of what is happening and what exactly is being said. This booklet is a tool but without active and mindful participation it is no better than any other unused tool.
Pay attention to what you and the priest are saying. Reflect upon the different meanings. Pay attention to the different symbols. Most importantly, pray the Liturgy. Donât just use this time for private prayer but let us all pray together the Divine Liturgy.
On the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord
August 6, 2003

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